Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Less than 24 hours to the launch of the Green Books Campaign (tomorrow, at 1:00 PM), and we continue to present some of the publishers that participate in the campaign and their thoughts on why it's important that books will be printed in an eco-friendly manner.

WSU Press is part of Washington State University, located in Pullman, Washington. A member of the Association of American University Presses, we publish in a wide variety of genres, including scholarly and trade monographs, reminiscences, essays, and biographies. We seek imaginative works that tell the story of the West in innovative ways. Currently, we publish 4-6 titles each year. We are proud to be a "green" press.The WSU campus printing facility where most of our books are published, was the first university publisher to become FSC certified.

WSU Press is participating in the campaign with the following books (all printed on FSC-certified paper):

1. America’s Nuclear Wastelands by Max Power

2. An Election for the Ages by Trova Heffernan

3. Finding Chief Kamiakin: The Life and Legacy of a Northwest Patriot by Richard Scheuerman and Michael Finley

4. Greenscapes: Olmsted's Pacific Northwest by Joan Hockaday

5. Making the Grade: Plucky Schoolmarms of Kittitas CountryBarb Owen

6. Season of Suffering: Coming of Age in Occupied France, 1940-45 by Nicole Taflinger

And now to the questionnaire (all publishers were asked to reply the same four questions):

Why do you believe books should be printed on eco-friendly paper?Books should be printed on eco-friendly paper because it is one way publishers can contribute to preserving the environment. When done responsibly, paper, and by extension, books, can be produced in an economically sustainable way. A key facet of that is to support paper manufacturers who also are committed to preserving the environment all across the supply chain, from the tree to the final product.

What is your policy on using eco-friendly paper?Our policy is to select eco-friendly paper whenever possible. In March 2008, Washington State University’s in-house printing plant became the first at a higher education institution to be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). WSU Press books do not currently display the logo, but we have plans to change that soon.

Are there other ways you're going green?Washington State University has been limiting paper use, using soy-based inks, recycling waste products, and purchasing Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified papers for many years. The university has purchased a full-color digital printer, which requires substantially less paper for proofs.

For offset printing, a recent acquisition is equipment that moves directly from electronic files to plates, eliminating the need for the intermediate step of film. Because WSU owns the printing presses, we are able to print, warehouse, and ship our books from our campus location. Our books are manufactured in America and our press operators are paid a living wage.

What's your advice to readers that would like to make their book purchasing more sustainable?Readers can try to become familiar with the members and logos of organizations like the Forest Stewardship Council, the Green Press Initiative, or the Rainforest Alliance, and look for those publishers and products that have the logos before making purchases.

Yes, we're very happy to have the support of of Indigo Books & Music, as part of its efforts to draw attention to the need for more environmental paper in book publishing. This is a core goal of Indigo's environmental program and is reinforced by Indigo's industry leading environmental paper policy. You can read more about it on Indigo's environment page.

One of the things I like most about Indigo is that they're the only retailer that actually provides readers with an easy way to find information on books that are printed on eco-friendly paper. It is integrated in their advance search options and it's very easy to use. This is just one part one their sustainable efforts, but has a great significance - otherwise, how readers that want to buy a book online can actually tell if it's printed on eco-friendly paper on not? I can only hope other retailers will follow Indigo's leadership and provide readers with this information.

Last week Indigo issued a press release on the campaign, which is enclosed below:Indigo Partners with Eco-Libris to Promote Green Books

TORONTO, Nov. 3 /CNW/ - On November 10, 2010, at 1:00 pm EST, Eco-Libris in partnership with Indigo Books & Music is launching a campaign to use the power of the internet and social media to raise awareness of books printed on environmental paper and its significance to forest conservation. Two hundred bloggers will review their selections from 200 books that have been printed on recycled paper and/or are FSC certified. These books will encompass an assortment of mainstream adult and children's titles.

Indigo is pleased to be the only book retailer supporting Eco-Libris in these awareness efforts. Participation in this campaign highlights Indigo's commitment to the use of environmental papers in book publishing, a core goal of Indigo's environmental paper policy which aims to eliminate the use of wood fibre from endangered forests and facilitate a broader sustainability shift in the publishing and paper supply chain.

Michelle White, Director, Sustainability at Indigo Books & Music said, "Indigo has a strong forest conservation mandate and we believe that physical books printed on environmental paper are a sustainable choice. We commend Eco-Libris for reinforcing this message and engaging readers to take this issue into consideration when purchasing books. In fact, Indigo provides information online and though in-store kiosk that allows consumers to make informed decisions about where the paper content of their book comes from".

"The Green Books Campaign celebrates sustainable reading, presenting booklovers worldwide with great options in books that are printed using eco-friendly paper. Although there's so much hype today around e-books, books printed on paper remain dominant in book retailing and it is important to us all that they will be as environmentally sound as possible," says Raz Godelnik, CEO of Eco-Libris. "We are happy to collaborate with Indigo in this campaign as not only they are a green leader in the book industry, but they are also the only book retailer that actually provides readers with an easy way to find information on books that are printed on eco-friendly paper."

Indigo is a publicly traded Canadian company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:IDG). As the largest book retailer in the country, Indigo operates in all provinces under different banners including Indigo Books & Music; Indigo Books, Gifts, Life; IndigoSpirit, Chapters, The World's Biggest Bookstore, and Coles. The online division, www.chapters.indigo.ca, features books, eBooks, toys, music and DVDs, and hosts the award winning Indigo Online Community. In 2008, Indigo launched Pistachio, an eco-aware lifestyle store featuring stationery, gifts and home décor, and apothecary.

Tomorrow, November 10, at 1 p.m., 200 bloggers will simultaneously publish reviews of 200 books printed on environmentally-friendly paper. By turning a spotlight on books printed using greener methods, Eco-Libris aims to raise consumer awareness about considering the environment when making book purchases.

The 200 books to be reviewed are in a variety of subjects including cooking, poetry, travel, green living, and history, and come from 56 publishers from the U.S., Canada, Australia, and the U.K. that are participating in the Green Books Campaign.

ebooks vs. paper books:

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read!

Founded in 2007, Eco-Libris is a green company working to green up the book industry in the digital age by promoting the adoption of green practices in the book industry, balancing out books by planting trees, and helping to make e-reading greener.

To achieve these goals Eco-Libris is working with book readers, publishers, authors, bookstores and others in the book industry worldwide. So far Eco-Libris balanced out over 179,500 books, which results in more than 200,000 new trees planted with its planting partners in developing countries.